Rat-trap.



J. A. BEVERLY.

RAT. TRAP.

APPLICATION mum snm. a, 1912.

1, 1 05,874. Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

mvmron J14. Bel/erg ATTORNEY THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D- C JAMES A. BEVERLY, OFTOPEKA, KANSAS.

RAT-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 3, 1912.

Patented Aug. 4,1914;

Serial No. 718,186.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES A. BEVERLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at T0- peka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rat-Traps; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of refer ence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to rat traps, and more particularly to a device of this class comprising a striking arm and an automatic re-setting mechanism wherebythe device is adapted for a number of independent actuations.

It is the principal. object of the present invention to provide improved arm control and trip mechanism together with a suitable bu-fi'er for retarding the travel of the arm after each blow, and a baitbox having open-.

part of the base, showing the trip. Fig. IV

is a detail view of the arm hub and dash pot, the latter beingin longitudinal section. Fig. V is a sectional view of the crankshaft bearingand ratchet. Fig. VI is a detail View of a part of the trip base, showing the trigger boss.

Referring more in detail. to'the parts 1-- 1 designates the base of thetrap which is preferably composed of cast metal and comprises a top plate 2 and edge flanges 3; the

latter being adapted to support the top plate above the floor so as 1 to leave space mounting the trip base, presently-described. The top plate has an overlay 4, of wood, or other suitable material, and near the center of the plate and overlay is an opening 5. Hinged to the base ofthe plate and project,-

for

ing into the opening: is a trip 6 which is yieldinglysuppoited on a level with the base plate by a spring 7, and has an overlay of wood to correspond with the top of thebase plate, the trip base fittingsnugly into the.

opening 5, but being adapted for free vertical movement relative thereto when pressed from above. Inorder to facilitate the vertical movement, I preferably provide the bottom of the plate with a h1g8 against which the spring 7 is adapted to bear to provide a knife-edgecontact and reduce frietion of the plate against the spring when the former is rocked. In order to protect the trip, I preferably provide the base with a bottom cover 9 which may be fixed to the flanges 3 in any suitable manner, but preferably by screwing the cover onto a lug 10 which depends fromthe bottom of the base plate.

Fixed to the top of the base is a bait box i 11 comprlsing a tapered body, preferably of cast metal, and having openings 12 therein through which light is admitted to the interior of the box, the openings being as large as possible, so that a maximum amount of light may be admitted without unduly exposing bait contained in the box.: The box is preferably formed in two separate pieces in order to provide a longitudinal slot 13 in the top through which the striking arm, presentlydescribed, may strike; the large end or mouth of the box beinglocated over the trip plate and the small end of the box being equipped with a door 14: which is:

axially mounted on a pin 15 carried by the box and yieldingly held in closed position by a spring 16, the door abutting against the end of the box when closed so that no access is afforded to the interior of the box through the small end thereof except when the door:

is swung back against the tension of its spring.

Fixed onthe base 2 between the trip, 6 and door 14 are hooks 17 to which bait may be attached. a

Rising from the forward portion of th bait box is a standard 18 having a bearing 19 at its upper end within which a shaft 20 is revolubly mounted, the ends of the shaft projecting from both ends of the bearing, the standard being offset so that the inner end of the shaft may terminate in substantiallythe vertical plane of the slot 13 in the top of the bait box and leaving space between its end and the end of the bearing.

Revolubly mounted on shaft between withone end fixed to the shaftoand the other to the rim of the drum, is a spring which; is adapted to tension the drum'forwardly "so that when the drum and shaft are revolved the striking arm will be carried rapidly around through the slot in the bait box, so that it may strike the head or forequarters of a rat standing with its forefeet on the trap 6. In order to tension the spring 25 and hold the same under tension, I pro- 'vide the shaft 20 with a crank 26, having an inwardly facing ratchet collar '27 adapted for cooperation with a plunger 28 which is slidably mounted in. a pocket 29 in the under side of the bearing 19 and yieldingly tensioned outwardly to operative position by a spring 30. It is apparent'that with this arrangement the shaft may be revolved for-7 'wardly to tension the main spring, but is held against backward movement, the ratchet pushing the pawl back-against the tension of the spring when moved for;

wardly, and the shoulders of the ratchet I catching against the pawl when the crankis moved backwardly.

At one end the overlayon the trip" base is cut away and the metal bottom provided with an upturned boss,31 which is adapted.

for engagement by the end of a trigger 32 i engaging faces of the bosses 24 and 39 being I pivotally mounted on a pin 33 on the "side of the bait box, such trigger being yieldi'ngly tensioned away from the boss by a spring34 also carried by the side of the box. The upper end of the trigger 32 has an inturned stud35 which projects into a yoke 36 on the lower end of the depending arm 37 of a latch v 38;,the forward arm of which has a boss 39 on its end adapted for projection in front of the *boss 24 on the arm drum to hold thedrum against the tension of its spring,othe

inclined so that when the trigger is'released theten'sion of the main spring will move the i drum boss against the lever boss and rock the lever against the tension of the spring 34 to release the drum. I preferably provide the latch 38 with a rear arm 40, and curve the arms 38 and 40-aroun'd the drum, so that when the lever s'rocked in either direction the arms will stop against the drum and a reach thebait the killing operation maybe limit" the pivotal movement of the lever.

In order to cushionthe striking arm after 9 it has performed its-function and so that it will again relock without striking with its full force against thestop lever, I provide 1,105,874 a v V the spring drum is projected, the parts he ing so arranged that the pin will slide freely through the rod slot during the initialtravel of the striking arm, will extend the rod as the arm approaches its striklng position,

and will force the rod back into the dash pot as the arm completes its revolution, in order to force the piston backwardly against the cushioning medium within the cylinder;

the piston havingrelatively large and small, valve ports for affording free outward movement and retarded inward movement so that it may resume its set position without undue shock ordanger of breaking the stop boss or lever. I prefer to fill the dash pot with a liquid agent and provide a double piston:

4747, the part 47 being fixed on the rod 44 and provided with a small aperture 48 through which the fluid may pass'slowly from one side of the piston to the other, and:- v

the member 48 being slidably mounted on the inner end of the rod and provided with one or more large apertures 48 through which the fluid may pass rapidly; The member 47 is held on the rod by a nut 49 and has a chamber 50 with which the ap'erture'4-8 of the member 47 communicates, and a seat 51 for the member 47, sothat when the member 47 is pushed against the member 47 the only passage for fluid to the top of the dash'pot is,-

through theaperture 48. The member :47

is of less diameter than the member'47, 'so

that when the rod is pulled outwardly fluid may flow around the member aswell as through the small aperture 48 and 'm'ovewith relative freedom within the pot.-

Presumlng the parts to be constructed and assembled as described, the trap is baited through the small end of the box and the main spring tightened by revolving the;

crank .26. When the trap is set in this manner,:-should a ratattempt to reach the bait through the open mouth of the box, it must depress the trip base 6 and release'the lower end of the trigger 32. When'the trigger 32 j is released from the trip base, the tension of the'main spring pushes the drumboss 24 past the boss on'the trigger lever, which'la-tter isallowed to rock by the release of the trigger and throws the drum and striking arm around rapidly, the striking arm pass- .ing through the slot in the bait box and striking the rat a killing blow. The blow of I the striking arm not only kills the rat but it I throws the same out of the trap so that when,

the arm is re-s'et and another rat attempts to repeated, Before the arm has struck, the

pin 46 engages the outer end of the dash pot rod and pulls the rod so that the sliding pis- .ton member is spaced from the fixed member and the fluid allowed to pass around the fixed member and through the large aperinner end of the slotted portion of the piston:

rod and forces the rod inwardly, forcing the fixed piston member to its seat in the sliding piston member, so that, the fluid must pass through the small valve aperture to reach the outer end of the pot, thereby cushioning the arm, so that as it approaches its set position it is retarded on account of the retarded travel of the piston, and the boss on the spring drum comes gently into contact with the boss on the trigger lever, the latter hav will continue to operate automatically until the spring has run down.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as, new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a rat trap, the combination with a supportingbase, of a bait box mounted on the base, a standard onthe bait box, a shaft revolubly mounted in said standard, a drum revolubly mounted on the shaft rand providedwith a striking arm, a spring connect ing the shaft and drum, trigger mechanism for holding the drum against the tension of the spring, atrip for releasing said trigger,

a pivotally mounted dash pot, a pin on the a drum, and a piston rod projected into the dash pot and having a slotted end connected with said pin whereby part of the travel of the piston rod is cushioned, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rat trap, the combination with a spring actuated striking arm, of a dash pot comprising a cylinder, a rod slidable in said cylinder and having sliding connection with the striking arm, a piston head comprising a member slidable on the rod, and a member fixed on the rod, said members having relatively large and small apertures, and trigger mechanism for controlling the strikingarm.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. BEVERLY.

Witnesses:

O. S. Monnow, u H. N. Games.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents, each, by eddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

